Paula, When I worked, I generally tried to start the hardening off process on a Thursday afternoon if I could. Even though it was late and the sun was low in the sky, I'd put the plants out for an hour, then 2 hours on Friday, three on Saturday, and four on Sunday. Now, here is where it gets harder. I worked about 20 minutes from home and had an hour for lunch, so I'd rush home at lunchtime on Monday and put the plants out so they'd be out for 5 or more hours before I returned home that evening. The same thing on Tuesday. By Wednesday, I left them out when I left for work and brought them in when I got home, and did the same on Thursday and Friday. It worked out pretty well, but wasn't always perfect.

Sometimes I put them on the north-facing screen porch at our home in Fort Worth, and left them out there for a week before I ever moved them to the Great Outdoors. Then I started the one hour a day routine. On that screened-in porch, because of trees, etc. they never had direct sun at all--just dappled shade.

Maybe (grinning and chuckling in an evil manner as I type this) you could ask your in-laws to come over to your house every day and carry the plants out and in again for you? (OW! Ow! Paula! Why are you hitting me? lol)

Dawn

I am far from an experienced gardener, but this is what I do and it works fine. I dug a hole in the ground about 12" deep, there is a slant to the top like a cold frame, on top of the hole I have a dark screen, like a screen door, they go down in there for 2 weeks then out in the garden and it has worked fine. Now I did have a problem with transplant shock on my broccoli, but I think that was more my studpidity not watering the ground after transplant because it was suppose to rain that night,so thinking "why water twice" I didn't water, and guess what? No rain.

Now I wait for a time when no serious rain is expected or the cups get too soaked, so some times I have to go out there and bring them in...

I not followed incremental hardening due to time limits. But I have grown seedlings in greenhouse with doors and vents left open all the day and warm nights, later moved trays to outside during warm nights for couple of days then transplanted them to ground. They seems to be doing just fine. -Chandra

I did less than I normally do, but my transplants were grown in an unheated but well insulated building and without extra heat, unless the outdoor temperature was below 30. What heat they got was what the lights produced. I moved them outside on a few warm days so they could experience air movement.

I was gone a lot, and when I was home we seemed to have cold temps or lots of wind. I didn't put them out in a controlled, daily timed fashion like I should have, but they went out when it was nice. The Spring crops have been outside for a long time now, and the tomatoes have been out when the night forecast was 49 or above. They grew very slowly at the cool temps inside, but they developed good roots. I think I lucked out on the hardening off process because they had been kept cool.

I am trying to get my Spring crops into the ground, but I'm not ready to risk the tomatoes yet.

Our tomato seedling seems to be growing too fast, they already now in 4-6in, some early started reached 8 inches last week, now they are in ground, planted deep. I planted couple of them in garlic beds by removing few green garlic in that spot. Tall sturdy garlic plants seems to be working as wind breaks! -Chandra

Ezz - that's an awesome idea and one I could implement...if I lined the hole with hardware cloth. I may have to give that a try.

Carol & Chandra - your methods are more what I'm having to use....thanks for the info that it can still work.

There you guys go again! Great info! And I'll probably "clip" this and refer back every year until I FINALLY get to retire.

Paula